Concrete-form construction or the like



Aug. 14, 1928.

C. l. WILLIAMS CONCRETE FORM CONSTRUCTION OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 JnuanW Aug. 14, 1928. 1,680,923

c. I. WILLIAMS CONCRETE FORM CONSTRUCTION OR THE LIKE Filed Feb. 26, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 0 :Tifli Patented Aug. 14,1928.

CHESTER I. WILLIA MS, OF GRAND RAPIDS, MICHIGAN.

CONCRETE-FORM CONSTRUCTION OR THE LIKE.

Application filed February 26, 1925. Serial No. 11,754.

My invention relates to concrete molds,

forms and the like, and more particularly to an improved method of securing concrete forms or the like and removing the same. The invention has among its objects the pro-' I duction of an improved securing means for forms of the kind described, which is simple, durable, reliable, efiicient and satisfactory for use wherever found applicable. It has I particularly as an object the production of devices of the kind described which will roduce molded structures. Many other obects and advantages of the construction herein shown and described will be obvious .to those skilled in the art from the disclosure herein given.-

.[0 this end, my invention consists in the novelconstruction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described,

and more particularly pointed out in the claims.

In the drawings, wherein like reference characters indicate like or corresponding parts, 0

Fig. 1 is a sectional view through the form, illustrating the form set up;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged sectional view through a portion of the same as shown in Fig. 1, with the material in place;

Fig. 3 is a sectional view taken substantially on line 3-3 of Fig. 2;

Fig. 4 is a sectional View through the whaler clamp; ,7

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the same;

Fig. 6 is a sectional view of the completed work with a portion of the securing means removed;

Fig. 7 is a sectional view illustrating apparatus and a step employed in the removal of the cone members 8; and v Fig. 8 is a front elevation of the apparatus shown in Fig. 7.

Referring to the drawings, in which only the preferred embodiment of the invention is shown, it may be mentioned that the particular form may be of the desired size. shape and material, this, of course, depending upon the work to be molded or constructed. I have illustrated'a portion of a simple construction of woodenform foruse in concrete work or the like, in which 1 -1 represents the form'boards between 'WhlCIl] themixture for the concrete \structure 2 is to-be placed. These form boards 1 are arranged between the usual studdings or members 3, and outside of this are arranged the bars or Whalers fr-4:. Arranged between the form boards are bolt members 5 of suitable length, which are preferably threaded as indicated at -6, and provided with jam nuts 7. Each bolt is provided with a coneshaped washer 8 at either end, so arranged that it may be withdrawn from the bolt when the forms are removed, as will be hereinafter described. The washer 8 is formed with an opening 9 through the same at one end and an opening 10 at the opposite end, there beingat the last mentioned end I an extending part 11, for convenience in removing the washer after the concrete work has set. Projecting through between the Whalers 4 and through form boards 1, preferably at points between the studding, are

bolts 12, each of which is internally threaded as indicated at 13 for engagement with the threaded end 6 of the tie bolt 5, and the same may also be provided with an opening 14 through the same to facilitate the removal of dirt or the like that may accidentally get into the recess inv the end of the bolt. The opposite or outer end of each bolt 12 is threaded as indicated at 15, and extends through what may be termed a whaler clamp 16, which I have shown provided with an extending portion 17 and with a bolt hole 17 of asize greater than the bolt 12 so that the bolt" may be pulled therethrough. As most clearly shown in Fig. 4, the clamp 16 is provided with flanges 18 at the end arranged to overlie the faces of the Whalers 4-4. Arranged onthe threaded end 15 of the bolt 12 is a wing nut 19 or the equivalent, preferably provided with a handle portion 20 so that the nut may be turned without requiring a separate wrench.

I have illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8 a simple form of puller for the cone-shaped face of the structure 2. Member 21 carries j a threaded bolt 22 provided with an operating or controlling handle 23, and is arranged I with an enlarged end portion 24 with a cone-- engaging part 25 at the extreme end, there i being [a portion of reduced area 26, as

'showni lhe end 25 is preferably reduced said part at the inner side. Arranged on the bolt 22 is a wing nut consisting of the nut portion 28 and operating portion 29. Turning the nut 28 causes the member 8 to be withdrawn.

In using my apparatus, the form is preferably set up as shown in Figs. 1 and 2, and then the concrete or any equivalent material placed between the forms and permitted to set. It will be particularly noted that with my devices the necessity of using wooden or other spreaders to retain the proper width of the forms is eliminated as the cones 8 are held the proper spacings by the nuts 7 at the inside. Often wooden spreaders are overlooked and left in the concrete, and it is often a difficult proposition to remove the spreaders as the concrete is being cast, especially in a reinforced construction or a narrow one. My improved method saves time in that respect, as once clamped in place, the devices require *no more attention until the forms are ready to be removed. After the concrete has set sufiiciently, the rods 12 and whaler clamps 16 are removed and the form, consisting of the studding whalers and form boards, is taken down. There is absolutely'nothing projecting from the surface of the concrete to hold the forms and they can be taken off whole and without having to be pried'ofl',

as is necessary when wires or bolts are used,

that project out through the forms and the forms have to be removed before the wires ,or rods can be cut off flush with. the concretef When the bolts 12 are removed the forms are entirely disconnected from the concrete structure. Prying against the concrete to remove forms very often results in the breaking off of corners or defacing of concrete, and particularly often results in the damaging of the forms or form lumber.

After the forms have been removed, the cones 8 are removed with the mechanism shown in Fig. 7 previously described. When the forms are taken off the cast concrete there is no twisting of rods or cones in the concrete, the member 21 bearing against the face of thematerial and reinforcing it against breaking off. The joint connecting the outside rod with the inside rod is protected from the concrete by the cone washer housing, thus allowing the rods to be easily unscrewed from eachother. There is nothing left projecting from the surface of the concrete, the cone 8 is flush with the surface and not in any way connected with the remaining rod 5, and may be extracted from the concrete merely by a straight pull with the puller. When the cones have been removed the holes are filled with concrete substantially as indicated at 30 in Fig. 6. The hole left after the removal of the cone from the concrete has a good shoulder and depth and the concrete plug or patch being bonded by the threads of the rod 5, which is left in the concrete, is positively locked in place and will not come out at an later period. This gives a good solid patc and there is no place for moisture to collect and graduall loosen the plug.

ne of the unique features of my improved method is the fact that the forms are easily assembled and adjusted, each side is a unit, and whaler and form can be clamped and adjusted independently of the other side. The value of the whaler clamp is a very important item. There is no necessity for using six by six, four by four, six by eight, or any other heavy timbers and drilling the same full of holes for form bolts, thereby depreciating the value of the same for future use, besides incurring the unnecessary initial cost of the same. Two planks of two inch timber, 2 x 4s or 2 x 6s placed edgewise stride the form rods and held in place by the whaler clamps will serve the purpose just as well and are easily handled. They can be used without drilling or waste of material whatsoever. Time is a big item in construction work, and the time it would take to tighten 'up the nuts or adjust them with the wrench is eliminated by use of the wing nut shown. They are also of thicker metal which lessens the possibility of stripping the threads. The method herein described and the parts set forth have advantages over the ordinary method of wiring concrete forms and the like.

Ordinarily, when wires are used they are threaded through the forms around each studding and the ends of the wire twisted together. outside the form, around the studding. The twisting point of the wires constitutes a breaking point and if the wire breaks, nine times out of ten it will break at this point, when the pressure of the concrete is exerted on the forms, which will necessitate a considerable amount of time replacing the same. There is also the danger of wires giving (taking up slack), when the concrete is being cast, allowing the forms to bulge. Wooden Spreaders must be used and these are hard to remove especially where the reinforcing is thick, or in thin walls. There is also the danger of their being left in the concrete. When wires are used on each studding they are so thick that it is difiicult for a man to get around on the inside of the form, and it is hard to spade the concrete properly around the wires out next to the form to get a good finish. Sometimes in spading the concrete a wire will be cut, and in large form work wires are often loosened up or broken by men climbing around inside the form and stepping on them. This allows the form to bulge and warp out of shape when the concrete is poured into them and often results in a warped concrete surface. Not only are wires a hindrance in the removal of forms, but it has been found that when they are cut oil flush with the surface of the concrete, the ends are more or less exposed and afterwards they will rust and rust streaks 'form on the surface of the concrete, which is not to be owerlooked on jobs where the finish is to be taken into consideration. If they are chiseled olf back in the concrete and the hole patched, there is nothing to bond the patch to, to hold in, and eventuall the plug will loosen and fall out. In a orm where No. 10 wires would be spaced at 18" centers, horizontal and vertical on the studding (1.5 x 1.5=2.25 sq. ft. of form per wire), inside form rods would be spaced at 3 ft. centers (3 x 3 9 sq. ft. of form per rod), that is 2.25/9= A the number of rods required as wires; then, too, the rod is muchstronger in tensile strength than four No. 10 wires, considering the defectiveness of the wires due. to twisting them. Each wire requires four holes drilled into the form, the rod requires two, which means that the wiring method will require eight times as many holes drilled into the form, which means eight times the depreciation of form lumber. Also, the wire will be approximately four'times as long as the inside form rod, and there are four times the number of wires as rods, which means sixteen times the length of wire as rod; the cost ofa foot of No. 10 wire is approximately 1 that of a foot of hot rolled steel rod, which means that the cost of wire for a job would be approximately four times the cost of using rods in the bolting method, even though the method of using wire is not nearly as foolproof, as the bolting method. In that there are about four times the number of wires as rods and eight times the number of holes, it stands to reason that the time of installation would be much greater in the wiring method. The form work will not bulge and there is no metal exposed to the surface of the concrete in the bolting method. The bolting methodis more economical from a standpoint of (a) time of installation, (6) depreciation of form lumber, (c) removal of forms, (d) difference in cost of rod and wire, (e) labor spading concrete, (f) and finishing of concrete surface.

Having thus described my invention, it is obvious that various immaterial modifies tions may be made in the same without deartin from the spirit of my invention; lience I do not wish to be understood as limiting myself to the exact form, construction, arrangement and combination of parts herein shown and described, or uses mentioned. lVhat I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. In apparatus of the character described and in combination, form members disposed in opposed relation, a rod, and means associated with one end of the rod for holding one of the form members against displacement relative to the rod, the other end of the rod terminating between the forms, a

nut threaded upon said other end of the rod,

means including a. second rod projecting through the other form member and threaded upon said other end of the first rod for holding said form members against displacement in a direction away from each other, and means enclosing the threaded connection between the rods and cooperating with said nut for holding the forms in spaced relation.

2. Apparatus for securing oppositely disposed and spaced form members to each other comprising a rod disposed between the form members, said rod being shorter than the distance between the form members, nuts threaded upon the rod, members adapted to abut against the nuts and the form members, and means detachably engaging the rod for drawing the form members toward each other.

3. Apparatus for securing oppositely disposed and spaced form members to each other comprising a strut disposed between the form members, nuts threaded upon the strut, hollow members slidably mounted on the strut and adapted to abut the nuts and the form members, and means detachably engaging the strut for drawing the form members toward each other.

4. Apparatus for securing oppositely disposed and spaced form members to each other comprising a strut disposed between the form members, nuts threaded upon the strut, hollow members slidably mounted on the strut and adapted to abut the nuts and the form members, and means screw-threaded to the strut for preventing movement of the'form members away from each other.

5. Apparatus for securing oppositely, disposed and spaced form members to each other comprising a strut disposed between the form members, nuts threaded upon the strut, hollow members slidably mounted upon the strut and adapted to abut said nuts and said form members, said hollow members being provided with inwardly projecting lugs whereby they may be removed from the strut, and means detachably engaging the strut for preventing movement of the, form members away from each other.

6. Apparatus for securing oppositely disposed and spaced form members to each other comprising a strut disposed between the form members, nuts threaded upon the strut, hollow members slidably mounted on the strut .and formed with smooth exterior surfaces, said hollow members being adapted to abut said nuts and said form members, and means detachably engagin said strut for preventing movement of saicI form members away from each other.

7. Apparatus for securing oppositely disposed and spaced form members to each other comprising a strut disposed between the form members, means adjustably mounted on the strut for holding the form members in spaced relation, rods screw threaded to the ends of the strut and projecting through said form members, U-shaped members slidably mounted on said rods and engagcable with said form members, and 1nem bers screw-threaded upon said rods for foreing said U-shaped members against said form members, said members screw-threaded upon said rods being provided with integral handles.

8. Apparatus for securing oppositely disposed and spaced form members to each other comprising a rod disposed between the form members, said rod being shorter than the distance between the form members, nuts threaded upon the rod, hollow members adapted to abut against the nuts and the form members and means projecting into the hollow members for drawing the form members toward each other.

9. Apparatus for securing spaced form members to each other comprising a rod interposed betwen the form members, said rod being shorter than the distance between the form members, and a plurality of rods pro jecting through the forms and screw-thremled on to the ends of said first-mentioned rod. nuts screw-threaded on said first-mentioned rod, means adapted to abut against said nuts and the inner surfaces of said form members, and means carried by said lurality of rods for'drawing the form mem ers toward each other.

signed my name.

CHESTER I. WILLIAMS. 

